Sad news for the local music scene, with word that the Towne Crier Café will be shutting down at the end of February after 40 years as a premier venue for top-rate music. Towne Crier owner Phil Ciganer broke the news in an open letter to patrons on the Crier’s… Read More →

Great piece by my colleague Gary Stern today on singer/songwriter Jack Grace and his band. Grace, a local product from Armonk, N.Y., has been quietly making waves in the music business and may be poised to break out. Check out Gary’s piece, which ran today in The Journal News/LoHud.com Meet… Read More →

We here at the Listening Room have tried to keep our readers up to date on upcoming shows. So, here we are again. We’ll leave the Big Apple alone for now, but here’s a rundown of some noteworthy shows scheduled for the Lower Hudson Valley in the coming month or… Read More →

Here’s a quick rundown of recommended upcoming shows here in the Big Apple’s northern ‘burbs. The list starts tonight with singer-songwriter Willie Nile, who is scheduled to play the Towne Crier in Pawling. Sorry for the short notice, but Nile is worth the haul if you have the night free…. Read More →

Johnny Copeland earned his fame the hard way. The Louisiana-born blues man spent countless years playing small clubs in the “Texas Triangle” of Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas before working his way into bigger markets and drawing the attention of mass audiences. But it was time well spent: Copeland, nicknamed “The… Read More →

This acorn didn’t fall far from the tree — but he certainly rolled in his own direction. Last week we told you about Murali Coryell’s new album, Sugar Lips, and his performance at the Towne Crier Café in Pawling. Now we add him to our growing list of Guitar Players… Read More →

Murali Coryell spent years shunning his legacy. With an affinity for languages, he toyed with the idea of becoming a translator or an academic. Anything, he thought, but to become a musician and toil in the shadow of his father’s greatness. Because Larry Coryell is a veritable legend, a founder… Read More →

There’s a good selection of music coming our way in the Lower Hudson Valley, and it’s never too soon to look ahead and hook up some tickets. Here’s a few worth spotlighting. For starters, the Towne Crier in Pawling will be hosting Richie Havens on Aug. 21. Havens, who spoke… Read More →

Legendary roots rocker Dave Alvin will be hitting the Towne Crier in Pawling next week. And rest assured it’ll be quite a show — the onetime Blasters founder just doesn’t do subpar performances. This time he’ll be on stage with his latest band, The Guilty Women. Dave Alvin & The… Read More →

We’re hitting a stretch of top-notch music at local venues in the coming weeks. After all, summer is always a good time to check around for live music. Here are a few of the upcoming local shows that caught my attention: For starters, blues guitarist Kim Simmonds (above) will be… Read More →

Should be a good show at the Towne Crier Cafe in Pawling tomorrow night, when blues and R&B singer Shemekia Copeland and her band are scheduled to take the stage. Copeland, 29, signed with Alligator Records as a teenager, thanks to a run of shows opening up for her late… Read More →